WEBVTT

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I am from Acts chapter 2 and they were amazed and astonished

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saying are not all these who are speaking Galileans.

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And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language?

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It's fitting that in a place like this

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today we have a very good academic answer.

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We have been sitting through Pentecost celebrations for some of us

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perhaps for a couple of decades,

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others may be a few more.

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We've heard the answer.

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We've heard the account on a number of different occasions.

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We have two thousand years of good theology to fall back upon, it's an

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easy answer.

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It's the spirit.

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God's Spirit the spirit that Jesus had promised to send to his people came

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and it caused all those people that day to hear God's word in their

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own languages.

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He inspired those Apostles to speak those languages

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but then he didn't stop there.

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He also then inspired the faith that began to take root upon hearing

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that word of God

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as it entered their ears and into their souls.

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The Spirit that we believe and teach and confess still to this date that

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can do mighty things.

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Those familiar words are so fitting for today.

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I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength

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believe in Jesus Christ

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my Lord or come to him.

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But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel. So yes, it's an easy answer for them. How is it that we hear each of us in our own native language? It is the Spirit God's Spirit. The

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Spirit the spirit of Jesus.

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So we have languages listed out for us, there of the different people

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dwelling in Jerusalem that day. And for a moment I want to take sometime to focus on these languages. And I am going to start with a

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question, that might seem simple but perhaps it's actually not really as

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simple when we think about it.

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What are the languages that are spoken where God has placed you?

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Now for a number of us, it seems like there is some real low hanging fruit here.

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English

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that seems to be the primary language, where we are placed, although

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there are a variety of languages in different places.

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But I would have you reflect a little bit deeper upon that. Because even

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though there may be a linguistic commonality with the language that is

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spoken there, there are different tenors that are also spoken of that

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language. And for a moment I reflect back on Dr. Nielsen of a couple of weeks ago, when he was

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about the Ethiopian eunuch and he asked us, the question who is in the

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chariot?

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I would actually pose another question to that.

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What language does the person in the chariot speak?

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Because there are different languages.

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There's the language of the farmer.

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And then there's the language of the business professional. There is

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the language of the teacher.

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And then there's also the language of the student.

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There is the language of the academic professional and then there is

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the language of the elementary school child.

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There is the language of the elder

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and the language of the preschooler.

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Language of the lonely

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and the language of the popular.

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The language of the traditional.

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Ehe language of the contextual.

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The language of the one who is regular

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and the language of the one that is not so regular.

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The language of the stellar

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and the language of the struggling.

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And I would actually encourage you because this is not a comprehensive

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list by any means to think for a few moments about where God places

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you.

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What are some of these tenors of that language that are spoken there?

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In fact, I would actually encourage you to do something that I've

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heard

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Doctor Saleska talk about a number of times over many years.

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Stop.

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Slow down.

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Listen.

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Listen to the languages of the place where God places you. There is a

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vital importance of learning the language that best engages those 

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who are speaking the variety of languages.

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In fact there is an old saying one that I have used a number of times on

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myself, but also toward others.

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God gave us two ears and one mouth and we should probably use them in

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the proper proportion that he gave them to us with.

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Two ears.

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One mouth.

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Listening

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perhaps twice

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as much as we would speak.

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There is perhaps a bit of wisdom there.

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And learning the languages spoken where God places you helps to

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facilitate the sharing of the message of the good news where God and

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His Spirit then go forth and do their work through those languages.

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Now as important as these languages are.

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It's also important to reflect that they are not the main point of

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this reading today from Acts 2.

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They are not the main point of the day of Pentecost some two thousand

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years ago and they are still not the main point for us today.

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Yes, the languages are important

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but only in that they serve as a platform. A platform to bring people

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to the message of the good news that God has given to them.

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That there is a name upon which they can call that they may be saved

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as our reading ended today. And it's a reminder to us that yes, the

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languages may be important but they are

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God's means.

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God's means of bringing the message of the one whom God sent to those who

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are listening.

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Point to Jesus.

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His is the name by which all of those who are speaking

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those languages have hope.

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It's the hope of those who speak that variety of languages, just as it

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is, the hope that God continues to give you here

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still today. It is, by his suffering, his death, and his resurrection

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for them

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and for you, that hearing takes place. That the proclaimed word, then

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takes root and the spirit

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then grows and produces the fruit of faith in those who hear that

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message.

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As you listen to those languages

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it's as though you are working to remove potential stumbling blocks to

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their hearing.

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Giving the spirit the platform to bring his good news and to do his

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good work in their life.

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So, no matter where you may be placed by God,

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Listen.

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Learn the language.

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And then finally as Peter

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did that day speak, open your mouth and speak of the one.

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So listen

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and learn. Whether you're in a classroom in St.

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Louis Missouri

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or if you're in far-flung places like Florida,

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New York, Texas, California. If you've gathered in places like Illinois,

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Indiana and Iowa. Whether you're in cities like San Antonio, St.

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Louis. Phoenix, 

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San Diego.

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Rural places like Odessa, Corral,

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Bellingham.

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There are places to be and languages to learn.

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2 ears

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1 mouth.

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Listen.

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Listen to that word of God that he has given to you that

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he has delivered to you.

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Listen to the languages

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and then open your mouth as God gives you the opportunity to share the

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message of the one, the one upon whose name you can call and the one

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upon whom they can call that they may be saved.

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Share the name of Jesus. Amen.

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I invite for you now to stand as you are able for the singing of the Te

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Deum.